When young children are asked why they do certain things, they often reply with “because”. As they have not yet learnt to assess their actions with their heads and make “sense” out of them, they “just do” whatever they do, which is mostly what makes them happy. Later in life, we learn to rationalise not only what we do, but also what we feel. We follow society’s rules on what shall be done and what shall be omitted. We become adults.
After going through a very dark period in my life, the idea that we all only have one life really struck me. Certainly, I had known it, in my mind, for much longer but it really settled in, as if I had woken up from some self-induced sleep. I started to feel an intense energy to do all the things I had put back for “later”, because I suddendly understood what “life is short” means. I don’t want to have -> regrets.
I now live a life close to my core values and have the courage to follow my heart. It’s far from always easy. To have courage doesn’t mean not to be afraid. It means doing something despite being afraid. I might not always understand why I take certain decisions but I also no longer see the need to rationalise it all. I take those decisions “because” they feel right and that’s good enough for me, even though I might have to overcome fear to achieve my goal. I just know it’s worth it. I see life as a wonderful journey. As long as we follow our heart and are authentic everything will fall into place.
I have also developed a profound interest in people and human relationships, realising how many people live a life full of “what ifs”; instead of taking chances and doing what they really want to do (such as changing jobs, travelling the world, terminating relationships), they either find a hundred reasons not to move (“too old”, “too weak”, “too complicated”, “too risky”) or even continuously try to convince themselves they are happy when clearly, they are not.
That’s when the idea of PEAK PERFORMANCE was born. I believe we all have the potential to achieve literally anything, to be the best version of ourselves, and to lead a truly happy life. For that, we need to let go of the dogmas we were given as children, and instead make a conscious choice on what we, personally, stand for. This can be hard work, because unless you see what dogma or need you are unconsciously trying to satisfy, your (possibly contradictory) behaviour might appear like an unsolvable puzzle at first. I know from own experience that being challenged from the outside helps a lot. I have had the privilege to meet people all over the world who did that to me, often in the form of a totally unexpected encounter. I am forever grateful for these moments and want to pay it forward.
So, here is how it works:
If you have come to this page and read through the above, chances are that you connected to the ideas I have presented or the questions I have raised. You might be stuck in a difficult situation right now, knowing something doesn’t feel quite right, looking for a way out wondering where to begin.
I thus challenge you to contact me and tell me your story. I will give you inputs from outside and question some of your motives to behave the way you do. I believe I have accumulated enough life experience to be of value to you. I do this out of passion for human beings, for their flaws, their fears and their dreams. In the hope to make the world a tiny bit better by making you a tiny bit happier.
If you are interested in such an exchange, please feel free to -> contact me. I speak German, English, French and Spanish.
Carnival Monday, Port of Spain (Trinidad & Tobago), 2020
Petra (Jordan), 2019
Royal Windsor Triathlon (United Kingdom), 2019
